3 Configuring a ChoiceNet Client       

This chapter covers configuration of the PortMaster as a ChoiceNet client. The following items must be configured on each client:

• IP address of the primary ChoiceNet server
• ChoiceNet shared secret

You must also add the PortMaster hostname or address and shared secret to the /etc/choicenet/clients file on the ChoiceNet server. See "Configuring Client Information on the ChoiceNet Server" on page 2-5.

You can configure ChoiceNet clients using either of the following interfaces:

•   "Configuring a Client with the Command Line Interface" on page 3-1
•   "Configuring a Client with PMconsole" on page 3-3

Configuring a Client with the Command Line Interface

1. Enter the IP address of the ChoiceNet server:

Command> set choicenet Ipaddress

2. Enter the secret shared by the PortMaster and ChoiceNet server:

Command> set choicenet-secret String

The shared secret is a case-sensitive string of up to 15 printable, nonspace, ASCII characters. Control characters must not be used. If you specify a secret longer than 15 characters, ComOS will display an error message.

This is the same shared secret entered in the clients file on the ChoiceNet server (see page 2-5).

3. If you are using ChoiceNet to download filters to the PortMaster on demand, set the number of concurrent PMconsole connections to the maximum:

Command> set maximum pmconsole 10

The ChoiceNet server loads filters dynamically to the PortMaster using the PMconsole protocol on TCP port 1643 on the PortMaster. If you do not set the PMconsole connections to the maximum value, your own PMconsole connection might block ChoiceNet from downloading filters into the PortMaster.

If you are using site lists only and not using dynamically loaded filters, you do not need to increase the number of PMconsole connections available to the PortMaster.

4. Save your changes:

Command> save all

5. Go to Chapter 4, "Installing User Notification."

If you have no PC or Macintosh users, go instead to Chapter 5, "Using ChoiceNet," to construct site lists and create filters.

For more information on using the command line interface, refer to the Command Line Administrator's Guide.

Example

Configuring a Client with PMconsole

1. Choose ChoiceNet from the Edit menu:

The ChoiceNet window shown in Figure 3-2 appears.

Figure 3-2 ChoiceNet Window

2. In the ChoiceNet Window, enter the IP address of the ChoiceNet server in the Primary Server field.

3. Enter the secret shared by the ChoiceNet client and ChoiceNet server.

For security reasons, the secret is not displayed in the dialog box.

The shared secret is case-sensitive, and must consist of 15 or fewer printable, nonspace, ASCII characters. Control characters must not be used.

4. Click the Save button to save the ChoiceNet settings.

5. Click the Done button to leave the window.

6. Go to Chapter 4, "Installing User Notification."

If you have no PC or Macintosh users, go instead to Chapter 5, "Using ChoiceNet," to construct site lists and create filters.

For more information on using PMconsole, refer to the Configuration Guide for PortMaster Products and the PMconsole for Windows Administrator's Guide.